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Season 1
Episode 1: The One Where Matt Joins A Sitcom Release Date: January 5, 2015 | Cable Audience: 1.5 Million Viewers Synopsis Following a nasty break-up, Matt falls into a deep depression that results in days filled with little more than hot showers and an impressive amount of bourbon. Logan and Leah arrive at the dorm after spending New Year's in Indianapolis. The three form a tepid relationship that blooms into a deep friendship after they discover their mutual love of Shark Tank. Further bonding ensues, and the cast quickly settles into a comfortable routine. Leah gets hired at Starbucks, Matt begins his creative writing in earnest, and Logan continues to bulk, clean the dorm, and establish connections in anticipation of his corporate job hunt. The episode closes out with a shot of the trio singing "Archie, Marry Me" in the living room as the sun sets in the background. Analysis The pilot lays down the foundation for many of the themes, motifs, and character development that will permeate the rest of the show. Coffee is established as an important motif; Leah and Logan both work at coffee shops, and Logan teaches Matt how to make his own coffee from beans. Many of the scenes show coffee mugs scattered on most of the surfaces around the dorm, and later episodes reveal the importance of coffee in the lives of several auxiliary characters. Matt's obsession with writing, in both creative and academic capacities, is also established in this episode. Passing mentions of new Tumblr followers and blog views contribute to the themes of narcissism, obsession (both with social approval and creative processes), and the vapidity of social media as compared with face-to-face human interaction. Matt also mentions repeatedly his progress on a senior philosophy thesis. This eventually becomes a common plot device to remove Matt from a scene, but more immediately reveals his academic ambitions and the degree to which his dreams differ from those of his roommates. The blossoming relationship between Logan and Leah serves to highlight Matt's sense of loneliness following his breakup. The couple also, in a Shakespearean desire for romantic symmetry, encourages Matt to pursue a number of love interests, driving the show's themes of love, loss, and belonging. Finally, music plays an important role in the early stages of the show. Matt's love of hip-hop, which traces back to his upbringing in an impoverished school district, creates a connection with Logan, who, as the director of the college radio station, has an encyclopedic knowledge of music. A scene of the cast singing "Archie, Marry Me" by Alvvays, which also serves as the theme music of the series, closes out the episode, as the three sit in the living room, accompanied by Logan on the guitar, with their silhouettes fading into black as the sun sets in the distance. Episode 2: The One Where Logan Starts Wearing His Nike Shirt Unironically Release Date: January 5, 2015 | Cable Audience: 1.5 Million Viewers Synopsis Matt turns to cooking as an outlet for his sadness, but creates tension when he leaves the stove on unattended, ruining one of Logan's pots and filling the dorm with a smoke smell that gets into everyone's clothes. Logan sifts through an old rubbermaid tub and finds some Nike apparel from his cross country days. Will and Matt begin planning a house show for an old church friend of Will's, and tap their friend Heath as an opener. Leah finds stress at school and work, where her managers and coworkers become overly critical due to her young age. Some new friends join the circle, and Logan finds that the smoke smell has not washed out of his clothing. Analysis This episode marks the first appearance of Will, Matt's best friend who comes to play an important role in the rest of the series. The scenes that show the two planning an upcoming party also set the stage for the upcoming subplot that follows a string of parties that take place over the next couple of months. The motif of music is also explored as Matt and Will discuss the nature of party music and the role of music in their lives more broadly. This episode's tense beginning contrasts starkly with the harmonious ending of the pilot, and creates conflict that will carry much of the shows plot in the coming episodes. This tension also contributes to the themes of belonging and home by making Matt wonder if he is welcome or wanted in the only place he might call home. Additionally, Matt's attempt to use cooking as a distraction from his unhappiness highlights the difficulty inherent in the pursuit of happiness, and showcases many sources of his anxiety: social discord, failure, and the problems encountered in the search for home. Leah's subplot in this episode calls into question her early characterization as unalterably happy, and contributes to the show's investigation of the sources of happiness and contentment. Furthermore, the demonstration of Leah's capacity for stress and unhappiness lays the foundation for the central plot of the next episode. The extended and detailed scenes of the coffee being brewed and served continue the show's constant coffee imagery, and the way she pines for the future and growing older contrasts the way that Logan and Will are reminded of and, to some extent, tied down by their past. Finally, Logan's discovery of an old shirt -- the main plot of the episode -- introduces for the first time the sense of loss (proximately of his clothing, but ultimately of his childhood) which becomes an important theme in the show instantiated in all of the characters at some point. Additionally, this plot serves as characterization for Logan, particularly his concern with physical appearance and fashion, as well as his use of irony to transcend social anxiety. Although he initially wears his Nike gear as a short term solution to his clothing shortage, he eventually comes to endorse the new style, and the sincerity of childhood it represents, and abandon the irony he had employed to shield himself from criticism. Episode 3: The One Where Leah Reads The Stranger Release Date: January 12, 2015 | Cable Audience: 1.8 Million Viewers Synopsis The episodes begins with a cold open of Leah lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The camera pans out to reveal an opened book lying just beyond her outstretched arm. After the opening credits, the gang is seen gathered around Heath, who is opening for the house show. A wide array of new characters are introduced: Ellen, Heath's friend and Will's former love interest; Laury, anthropology major and Will's former love interest; Anne, an exchange student from Scotland and Will's current love interest; and Camp, Will's best friend and former love interest. During the course of the performance, Matt is shown wandering out of the main room. Different characters are seen whispering to each other. Heath concludes his show, and Matt is shown briefly downstairs talking to two girls before running to vomit. The next day, Matt nurses a hangover as Leah and Logan figure out how to work their new blender. While sipping at her smoothie, Leah scans the bookshelf and pulls a book. A confused Chinese delivery person knocks on the door before stumbling away. Analysis Although commonly billed as one of the least funny episodes of the first season, "The One Where Leah Reads The Stranger" provides important development in the main cast, and introduces a number of auxillary characters for the first time. The entire episode is a flashback, describing the events leading up to Leah's discovery of Albert Camus' 1942 novel The Stranger and her subsequent descent into nihilism. The joy and social interaction that follow the cold open contrast her impending emptiness and flat affect, and illustrates the nature of the relationships between the cast's wider friend group. The introduction of Will's sizable canon of former lovers and girlfriends shows his character's amorous nature, and gives the audience a look at a number of strained interactions, which set in motion the recurring exclusion of certain characters due to the presence of others. Interestingly, this is one of the few episodes that depicts nearly every main and auxillary character featured in the show. Through these scenes, the problems of consistent identity formation and assimilation in the face of overlapping social circles are also explored. The house show presents a conclusion to the planning in the previous episode, which eliminates for the audience the possibility that the series might be episodic, not unlike other great sitcoms of the 20th century such as Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner. Instead, story arcs that span several episodes (or even both seasons) play an important role in progression of the narrative and, eventually, the ultimate meaning of the show. Additionally, the house show contributes to the show's motif of music and sets up Heath for his role as a second-tier cast member. In the final scene of the episode, Leah is shown again, happy as usual, thanks to her smoothies and the affection of her boyfriend. As she is browsing through the books, she is characterized as naive but searching, young but open to new ideas. Her discovery of a book famous for its vivid descriptions of nihilism and the inherent meaningless existence reduce the previously most positive character to a pile of depressed rubble. Though she eventually regains her former sunniness, her fall from joy during the episode illustrates the show's them of the difficulty in the search for happiness, as well as the existential tones throughout the series. Episode 4: The One With The Wurlitzer Release Date: January 19, 2015 | Cable Audience: 1.2 Million Viewers Synopsis With his mood still dour, Matt idly rifles through Logan's sizable record collection, and stumbles upon the band American Football's self-titled album. Thinking their name odd, Matt spins the record, and becomes enamored with the album's simple, yet evocative sound, and the earnest and emotional lyrics. After spinning the record several more times, Matt finds creative inspiration and decides to start an emo revival band through which he can express his own complicated emotions. With help from Logan and Leah, Matt assembles a band, but is missing a member who can play the wurlitzer, which is featured prominently in the album and even has a song named after it. After a frenzied, exhaustive search, Matt realizes in horror that there is no one within a 50-mile radius who can play the elusive instrument. Meanwhile, Logan plays some pop-punk at his radio show at a caller's suggestion. A surprised Logan ends up liking the genre, and is excited to take Leah to a pop-punk show, which coincidentally is taking place at The End -- a nearby music venue -- the next evening. Logan and Leah arrive, and realize in horror that the show, like all other pop-punk shows, is all-ages, and what all-ages entails is a swarming crowd of tweens. Having come this far with purchased tickets in hand, the two are determined to survive, and suffer through the torment of hours of screaming 12-year-olds. After four hours, the two leave, traumatized. The next day, Logan and Leah decide to go to Rand Lounge for the inaugural show of Matt's emo band, which they are reassured will only have guests their own age. Matt realizes his lyrics are more important than the wurlitzer, and that songs without a wurlitzer are just as emotional as songs with one. The show is terrible, but Logan and Leah wholeheartedly enjoy it, as emo revival is basically pop-punk with a slightly different sound. Analysis Curiously, the episode's title is somewhat of a misnomer; while the title is a reference to the American Football song, it is also incorrect. The episode does not have a wurlitzer; in fact, much of the episode's conflict is due to the wurlitzer's absence. The title's misleading nature may be intentional, as humans, especially the less fortunate ones, are often denied services and rights they should theoretically be entitled to. Regarding the larger themes of the show, this episode explores the search for happiness and the nature of longing, and contributes to the motif of music. Furthermore, the relationship between Logan and Leah is developed as the audience is allowed a deeper glimpse into their origins through flashbacks. Vanderbilt's campus, hitherto undepicted, is shown extensively in this episode, providing the audience with a better understanding of the characters' roles in such an elite institution. Episode 5: The One Where Matt Gets Rich Synopsis At the end of the second week of school, Matt receives a reimbursement check from his scholarship. Though the actual amount is unstated, various characters are shown, after seeing the check, with a shocked expression on their face. In each instance, the characters look at Matt and say, "I can't believe you got a check for nine--" before being cut off by the entrance or interjection of another character. In part because of the seemingly infinite amount of money, and in part because of Matt's underdeveloped faculty of self-control, he goes on a spending spree in which purchases, among other things: a coffee grinder, a Zune, an aquarium, a book on the occult, a five gallon jug of peanut butter, a DVD of "Right Kind of Wrong" with sixteen hours of bonus material, the entire discography of Linkin Park, a wurlitzer, and a sampler pack of wigs. Leah becomes hospitalized after slipping on a puddle of ice outside Starbucks as she is getting off work. Meanwhile, Will is becoming more involved with Anne, an exchange student from Scotland. The two bond over their shared love of Michael Foucault and Broadway musicals. Camp, who lives with Will, is skeptical of the harm posed by the blossoming relationship and sets up increasingly elaborate plots to precipitate a breakup between the two. Episode 6: The One Where Logan Gets Addicted Synopsis Matt, Will, and Anne throw a joint birthday party at Will's place, where several more auxiliary characters are introduced. Laury returns Matt's favorite book to him, causing him a disproportionate amount of joy. Anne's friends show up, and dour mood settles momentarily on the party. Finding himself drinking an excessive amount of coffee, Logan turns to other substances. After a number of attempts to get the monkey on his back via brandy then marijuana, he finds that the pain pills left over from Leah's hospital visit offer respite from his caffeine headaches. He quickly gets in over his head after he is forced to borrow a substantial amount of money from Matt to keep his habit going. Back at the party, Matt has become increasingly drunk. The mood has lightened considerably following the departure of Anne's friends, who decided to leave after becoming uncomfortable with the racially appropriational nature of Matt's dancing. A sizable circle of friends surround Matt as he jokes about suicide. Will tries to reconcile with Anne outside, but to no avail. As she storms off, Will spots Matt, face stained with tears, following Ellen into the night. Logan checks himself into rehab at Leah's insistence, where he finds himself inspired by the stories of his fellow addicts, inspiring him to set to work on the next great American novel. Analysis In this episode, the themes of obsession and excess are brought to the forefront as Logan and Matt struggle with parallel problems of substance abuse. The intentionality of this mirrored plot is highlighted by Logan's newfound desire to write at the end of the episode, which ties him to Matt and Will, as well as the yet-undepicted producer-costar Douglas Lee. Episode 7: The One Where Leah Finds A Dog Synopsis After parking her Prius illegally in a faculty-only garage near the dorm, Leah finds a dog wandering around. Being an animal-lover, she leads it back to the gang's apartment. She suggests that they keep it, hiding it behind an elaborate false bookcase for room inspection and housecleaning. Logan and Matt are delighted, but Will, who is visiting, is skeptical of the idea. Camp runs into trouble when pursuing a romantic interest named Raleigh, whose father became extremely wealthy from a gambling racket in the 70s. He becomes frustrated with her habit of repeatedly cancelling plans but ultimately gives up after she secures a job working alongside him at Bain & Co.